Overview
The National Defence Strategy recognises climate change as a national security issue. The effects of climate change will heighten challenges for Defence, including creating harsher conditions the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will operate within. Additionally, the global energy market is evolving in response to the global demand for cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy.
Operational energy is a critical enabler of military capability, and Defence depends on assured supplies of energy to achieve its mission.
Contested logistics, reliance on commercial technology and infrastructure, and Defence's energy use all pose challenges to Defence‘s ability to assure access to resilient energy supplies throughout competition, crisis and conflict.
In response, Defence has established the Defence Energy Transition Office (DETO) to coordinate operational energy transition. DETO collaborates across a range of internal and external networks and communities including:
- international allies and partners
- federal and state agencies
- industry bodies
- Defence business partners.
Activities
Defence’s operational energy transition will occur through 3 phases:
- Phase 0 (2024) Foundation setting: strategy creation and implementation approvals to enable and support transition.
- Phase 1 (2025–2030) Acceleration: in consultation with the Services, scaling adoption and providing an industry demand signal to support domestic production of lower-carbon liquid fuels, capitalising on early energy transition opportunities and setting the conditions for transitioning hard-to-abate Defence capabilities/platforms.
- Phase 2 (2031–2050) Scaled operational energy transition.
Acceleration will occur by:
- integrating low-carbon liquid fuels into the Defence Fuel Supply Chain
- identifying practical energy efficiency measures
- shaping policies to consider energy requirements
- developing intelligence on emerging technologies.
Milestones
Achieved
- November 2023: Demonstration of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use in Royal Australian Air Force PC 21 at Williamtown Air Show
- June 2024: All ADF Air platforms certified to fly on SAF
- October 2024: Release of strategic guidance – Defence Future Energy Strategy
- October 2024: Commencement of a SAF 12-month pilot program at RAAF Base East Sale
- November 2024: Successful demonstration of renewable diesel (RD) on a Royal Australian Navy vessel MV Sycamore
- March 2025: Defence air platforms operating on SAF during Avalon Airshow
- June 2025: RD Demonstration to power generators on a remote Defence site
- June 2025: Inclusion of SAF and RD within the exercise design for Talisman Sabre 25
- June 2025: 18 months of strategic partnership with Viva Energy and UGL limited – importation, handling and distribution of Defence’s low carbon liquid fuels needs.
Future
- July 2025: Release of low-carbon liquid fuel literacy products – SAF and RD awareness videos
- July 2025: Successful demonstration of SAF and RD in Talisman Sabre 25
- August 2025: RD demonstration on armoured fighting vehicle systems
- Maritime and land platforms progressing full certification to operate on a 30% blend of RD
- Developing policy adjustments to accommodate future energy in future acquisition projects and in-service fleet management.